Author Notes: This concept arose from a simple mathematical property of commutativity (correction.. i believe the right term is ‘transitivity’ Thank you croquembuche! ). A pairs well with B, B pairs well with C, so A should work well with C. Rosemary pairs well with potatoes, and potatoes stuffed inside a paratha flatbread is of course a classic Indian breakfast. This logic may not work all the time with food, but in this particular instance, I found a new variation of a well loved classic bread which has become a favorite breakfast dish at home: the Rosemary potato Paratha!
There are no spice blends to worry about in this dish; the fresh chopped rosemary and some finely minced green chile for heat is all you need. If heat is not something you care for, omit the chili. Feel free to substitute the ghee with oil for a vegan version. —Panfusine
Food52 Review: I really liked this. It was tasty and fun. The recipe was well written and easy to follow, which was helpful since it was my first time making paratha. It wasn’t as spicy as I would have liked; the end result could have used more heat, but that’s an easy fix with a spicier pepper! The dough was nice — the whole wheat flour added an earthiness and the potato mixture was warming. I served it with tzatziki like the recipe suggested. It was a hit! —Audrey
Makes: 6
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients
Dough
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2
cups whole wheat flour
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6
ounces water (approximately)
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1
pinch salt
Rosemary potato filling
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2
large Idaho potatoes
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1
sprig fresh rosemary (leaves stripped off the twig)
-
1
to 2 small fresh green chiles (adjust as per your taste)
-
1/2
teaspoon kosher salt
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1
tablespoon lime juice
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3
tablespoons melted ghee, for brushing the paratha
Directions
Dough
- Combine the flour and salt, add the water in increments, and knead to make a firm ball of dough. Divide into six and cover with a wet towel until ready to roll into parathas.
Rosemary potato filling
- Finely chop the chili and rosemary leaves almost to a minced consistency. Wash and cut the potatoes into half, then boil until a knife slips through with little resistance through the cooked tuber.
- Drain excess water, peel the potatoes, and place in a mixing bowl along with the salt, lime juice and finely chopped rosemary and green chili blend.
- Break the hot potatoes so that the steam is released. This helps the filling to be as dry as possible. Mash the potatoes to crush any lumps to get a smooth filling. Shape the filling into spheres, approximately the size of ping pong balls.
- Roll a portion of dough into a 6-inch flat round, like a tortilla. (Use a generous amount of extra flour to ensure that the dough does not stick to the surface or rolling pin.)
- Place a ball of filling and roll the dough around like you would do for an enchilada. Pinch the ends and fold over so that the filling is evenly enclosed within the dough.
- Flour the board and gently roll out the the potato-filled dough into a 5-inch circle.
- Heat a flat griddle and place the paratha on it. Brush liberally with ghee, then after two minutes flip to the other side and brush the other side with ghee as well. The paratha is done when both sides have turned a golden brown with tiny black spots. Serve with a raita, tzatziki, or an Indian mango or lime pickle.
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Photo by James Ransom
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